You're a Fool Deacon Claybourne
by CaseyL
Summary: Just a quick one-shot following Deacon a month or so after the accident. Bucky can't stand to see his old friend throw away his life.


**I should be writing the stuff I get paid for, but this came to me while at the hotel bar in Salt Lake City.**

##

Deacon sat at the hotel bar. It had been 32 days since he'd gotten out of the hospital, 36 since he'd taken his last drink, and 38 since he'd last kissed Rayna. He swirled the ice in his glass of seltzer, then dug around in the nut bowl until he found an almond. The saltier the better.

It had been three days since he'd rejoined Juliette's band. She'd come to his house after he'd gotten released from the hospital and apologized for all the Dante crap. She knew he was a good friend, and needed an even better friend, and she was willing to reach out that helping hand. He protested at first, but he could see that she needed some support now that her mother was gone, and the long line of temporary boyfriends was suspended, and he thought it might be good for him to feel needed for a change.

He was wary about going on the road with Rayna again, but he'd been giving her a wide birth since he'd been back. She had rejoined the tour about a week ago. Both of their physical injuries were healing nicely, but the mental scars were probably going to last a lifetime.

Tonight's show at the Energy Solutions Arena had been a top-notch performance on everyone's part. Rayna was back to high kickin it around the stage despite her bruised shins, and he was strumming away like when he was a kid even though his left pinky ached a little when he stretched it.

He was singing along with the bar's radio to _Whiskey River_ when Bucky sat down next to him and ordered a bourbon.

"Is it ok if I drink?"

"Do whatever you want, far be it from me to deprive a fellow soul of his medicine."

"Feeling poetic tonight Deacon?"

"Let's just say I'm feeling inspired by Willie. "

The bartender put the glass in front of Bucky and moved down the bar to talk to some cute girls who wandered in. Bucky went to take a sip, but looked over at Deacon popping nuts in his mouth as if they were his last supply of oxy.

"You know what," he said."

"What?" Deacon replied.

"You're a real fool Deacon."

"Thanks Bucky, glad to know you have so much faith in me."

"No I mean it. You want to know why?"

"Not particularly," he sneered back, "but I think you're going to tell me anyway so go ahead."

"You could have had everything you wanted in life. The love of your life, a daughter who adores you, but you threw it all away for righteous anger and a bottle of Jim Beam. "

Deacon continued to stare ahead picking through the dish of nuts.

"Why don't you tell me how you really feel Bucky."

"I'm serious. I'm not saying you didn't have a right to be mad a Rayna. Maybe keeping Maddie's paternity from you wasn't the best decision, but seeing how mean, nasty, and out of control you get when you're drunk, even you can see why she made that decision all those years ago when you were drunk far more days than sober."

Deacon shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Sure, be mad at her, yell at her, tell her how much she hurt you, but you should have been an adult, and sat down and heard her side of the story, and moved past it. Instead you threw it all away. Now how does she trust you around Maddie, how does she explain to Teddy why she's keeping you around."

"I didn't ask her to keep me around. I don't need her to keep me around."

"Sure, that's what you're saying now, but what will you be saying a year from now when you're sitting alone in another hotel room, and your lady, your child, your family is once again with some other guy. Cause don't tell me that you've stopped loving Rayna, cause anyone who knows you at all is never going to believe that. For 14 years all you've wanted was to be with her. You finally got a second chance with her and you're just throwing it away. You're a real fool Deacon Claybourne."

With that Bucky downed the rest of his bourbon slammed the glass on the bar and walked away.

Deacon breathed in real deep and took another sip of his seltzer. Then he threw some cash on the bar and walked into the lobby towards the elevators. When the doors opened he breezed in and pushed the button for the 6th floor. Then he leaned against the back of the elevator holding on to the side rails as if they were the only things that were holding him up. When he heard the ding of the 6th floor he let go of the railing, started to move towards the door, then stopped as if cement were holding him down to the bottom of the elevator. He looked up and pushed the button with the PH, then the doors shut once again and the elevator shot up to the top floor.


End file.
